Inari's Guardian
by Sage of Seals
Summary: The time has come for one deity, and he has descended to punish the Kyuubi and to give Naruto his gift. So now, the Uzumaki grows up surrounded by nature, the animals themselves teaching him to flourish... and to survive.
1. Prologue: Fury

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ _AND LET THE CHAOS COME_, READ IT FIRST AS THE PREQUEL TO THE TRILOGY OF _KAMI NO NARUTO_. OTHERWISE, CONTINUE READING THE STORY.

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**Inari's Guardian**

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_The shinobi's vision and senses erupted in a multitude of colors and feelings as the fox itself suddenly seemed to freeze before thrashing about on the ground, small earthquakes created and vanquished in instants. Its cries of hatred and pleas for help were lost on the mortals, who heard no more than a great snarl before a figure appeared before them, flashing as if in rage._

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Prologue

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Among other things, the crimson flash that erupted from the earth, bathing everything in a scarlet light, was not what Namikaze Minato expected. He blinked, eyes still covered as if in tears by sweat and grime; debris from the huge dust clouds the angered bijuu had kicked up. The world faded and spun for a moment, and he staggered on top of Gamabunta before pulling himself back to his feet. He could only stare in wonderment at the scene that greeted him.

The beam of light had surrounded the Kyuubi itself in a blood-red aura, and the beast itself was thrashing around on the ground, its cries of bestial rage producing enough KI to eliminate any number of civilians as well as many lower-ranked ninja. The fox shrieked and when Minato looked up, he saw a figure, entombed in that blaze of light and standing tall before the demon. Wiping his hair from his eyes, he took a step forward-

And _felt_.

Images, washed over him. Feelings, sights, sounds, tastes, and many other senses that there are no names for in any human tongue, inundated his mind, as well as the thoughts and souls of all the other shinobi who had been fighting to protect their home but moments ago.

One second, he was rushed in a mountain stream to be ripped apart in roaring white rapids. Next, he was set ablaze under the roaring hot sun, a power too great to be denied. The earth itself grew up around humanity and crushed it to dust before remaking it so that civilization could live and grow and destroy itself countless times. The wind blew into his face and he screamed, the gust carrying with it shouts and voices of multitudes, begging and shouting, but yet there was no malevolence. The only thing present was power, sheer power.

Wild, uncontrollable rage washed over the forest and all human life was frozen in place even as the plants grew in a frenzy, reaching toward the spot where the fox lay thrashing upon the ground, miniature quakes erupting where its body broke open the ground. Here was the Kyuubi, creator of tsunamis and destroyer of mountains, and here it lay in agony, shrieking in anger and pain.

All the humans were stiffened as they felt the unnamable feeling of a _presence_, of a predator waiting in the shadows, always ready to seize its prey from behind. They twitched and thrashed while the fox screamed, an unearthly wail that shattered stones and caused birds to flee for miles around.

But then, as quick as it came, the terror was gone.

And then it was replaced by a feeling of _oldness_, of a place where anything and everything had its niche, and so all things of life and nature were meant to be. And humans throughout the village saw their place in nature and suddenly felt small, even as the fox's screams reached a crescendo.

Minato stood, entranced and dumbfounded by the waves of the wisdom and age of eons that washed over him, giving him but the slightest insight to the wild fury of the being that stood far above them, watching the Kyuubi indifferently as the beast yelped in agony one final time before the dust settled.

And Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, knew that hell hath no fury as to the rage of nature's wrath.

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Inari stood, clothed in red light, as he manifested himself to the surface of the Earth, right on top of where the fox demon had been attacking Konoha. His eyes, normally amused and free, blazed in bloody scarlet as he erupted with but a fraction of his power.

The usually carefree god had barely recovered from the shock of the discovery of the resurrection of Yomi that it had been a worse shock to find one of his most trusted lieutenants attacking a human village in a half-crazed berserker drive. Hundreds of carcasses already littered the ground, and Inari, the lord of nature, was angered.

Nature was free and unrestrained; it could be anywhere from the most optimistically funny of emotions to the darkest and most cruel of tortures. The god's persona itself reflected this, as nature was connected to the celestial being in a way that ran deeper than a soul's connection to a body.

Nature was bloody and ruthless, for sure. There was to be no mercy in a fight for life or superiority. Predators killed, and they did what they had to in order to stay alive. What's more, everything was kept in balance, for in the eternal struggle of yin and yang, the rule of the Earth, ancient beyond measure and originating with the gods themselves, kept the celestial forces together, filling the air itself with ambient power.

But all life was part of a higher cycle, where the bodies, minds, and souls of everything that _lived_, breathing, wanting, and _feeling_, and so all was swept up in a cycle of rage and sorrow, happiness and turmoil. Calamity and tranquility existed hand-in-hand, yet if there was one thing nature was not, it was this:

Wasteful.

The predator-prey relationship was a complex one, yet was necessary. But _this_…_ this_ was a slaughter, meant for no other reason than for destruction and pain.

It was an abomination.

It was a betrayal.

And so Inari clenched his fists, diving into his vassal's consciousness with his own, searching for a reason, a purpose, and finding nothing, just a blind rage with its only drive to be to annihilate all forms of life. And he dove further.

The nature god went on, even as the Kyuubi howled in pain, paws carving open deep gouges in the earth, his physical body standing still in the middle of a blaze of power with features looking to be chiseled from stone and eyes blazing with burning rage, waiting to be set free upon the mortal earth.

Inari searched further, and found naught but more rage, and blood, and hate, and…confusion?

Deeper down, the violence began to fade and Inari could find only confusion and uncertainty, buried deep under the fiery heap of hateful emotions. As he saw them, they appeared to be half-dead, piled under a pile of anger so huge that the beast had been driven into near-insanity- and, as he now found out- against its will.

He finally reached the last destination, a place at the bottom of the Kyuubi's soul, where red torchlight illuminated the walls in a reflection of the fox's inner sanctum- and where there had been an opening into the innermost instincts and mind processes of the fox, there was a seal.

Covering the wall, the three huge tomoe were set aflame in a sickly purple light, bathing the room in a black light of filth and toxicity. They spun, almost lazily, mocking Inari with the corruption that they so freely spread amongst the room. Inari felt sick, not just for reaching the root of the problem, but also because he recognized the three swirling commas as a symbol that had not been used in eternity- the symbol of the forces of Yomi.

Inari felt a wave of dread wash over him- and then he roared in rage, his bellows syncing with the pitiful cries of the fox in the real world, outside of the cavernous mindscape of the bijuu. A column of flame blasted over the seal and it vanished in a pillar fire as the Kyuubi screamed in pain, its yelps eventually subsiding into soft whines of pain, the great demon still not fully done with the agony of the breaking of its chains of madness.

"**Kyuubi,"** was the word spoken, and thus the beast froze in its thrashing to flinch back from the now-cold fury of its master. The Kyuubi whimpered in the face of the Lord of Nature, and Inari restrained himself from tearing apart the land in a whiff of ozone and a blaze of fire.

_**Who did this to you**_ was the question asked by the god, and it wasn't a word, nor a thought, but a feeling, and so Inari's mind was assaulted by visions of a mask, a cloak of clouds, a cloud of malevolence, and those three swirling pupils, making up an eye of entrancement and illusion.

Inari snarled again and the fox flinched back once more.

Not fifty yards below, a blond-haired Hokage was coming to his senses at last.

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Minato stared, breathlessly, mouth dry, at the pinnacle of power that stood before him. His mouth moved soundlessly as he watched the fox quake under the wrath of the being that stood there, unmoving in the face of the fox's agony. Three words managed to escape hi mouth though, and they fell out into the screaming air with a sense of helplessness, a feeling that the Hokage was not acquainted with.

"What…what is _that?_"

Echoes were heard from all over the field of shinobi even as the Kyuubi began to quiet, and suddenly, before Minato's eyes, was a face of ancient rage and power, staring into the depths of his soul, before that cold glint faded and he was left looking into the irises of a red-haired man, fair-skinned and crimson-eyed.

"**I believe you kn**ow me as a Inari, mortal," spoke the man, as his voice faded from a sky-splitting cacophony to a more normal tone, yet one still filled with power, so one still to be feared and respected.

"I-Inari?" Minato's tongue stumbled over the words at the sight of this ageless being standing before him. "Why… why have you come?"

Inari snorted, some apparent humanity reappearing into his features, the anger fading from his eyes somewhat. "I had to subdue my subordinate, of course. I would like to apologize for the trouble he has caused." He smirked a bit at the other man's dumbfounded expression. "Did you see any shinobi not attacking Kyuubi."

Minato's mouth moved, and eventually, words came tumbling out. "Y-Yes. I saw… a man, masked, with red clouds on his cloak. He and I clashed some time before the fox came, and he fled soon after its arrival." He shook his head in confusion. "But, surely you can't be implying that-" He was cut off by a wave of Inari's hand and fell silent.

"Yes, indeed, this attack was staged." The god's expression grew grave. "My lieutenant is not one to attack villages at random, and so I suspect other powers at play."

"How-?"

"Enough."

Inari suddenly spotted the small bundle at the Hokage's side, tufts of yellow hair poking out of the top, and heard the wailing of an infant. As he unwrapped the bundle, his thoughts were assaulted with images, and his sharp intake of breath drew Minato's attention. "What-?" He was cut off once more.

"This is the one I was sent to find," said Inari, and Minato's mind was sent reeling. "I had planned to give him a gift, but… now there is one more thing I can provide."

A spark flashed between the god's finger and the center of the babe's forehead, and the child grew quiet, eyes slowly closing. "There is but one other thing I will do now," said Inari. "Kyuubi!" he barked, and the fox itself stood up shakily.

"Y-Yes, Master?" it asked cautiously, and then bowed its head in thanks and shame.

"You have brought shame upon yourself for succumbing to manipulation, my friend," said Inari. "For that, I will assign you a task: you are to stay within the room of this child's soul, protecting and guiding him for his lifetime." When the fox made no response, Inari lifted a hand and placed it upon the fox's head, smiling sadly. "You will learn the importance of this boy soon enough," he whispered, and the Kyuubi twitched, seemingly unsettled with this new revelation even as Minato's thoughts were kept in turmoil with every word spoken by the god.

With a nod, the Kyuubi disappeared in a swirl of fiery chakra and vanished into the spot on the child's forehead where he had been marked- not, as Minato noted unconsciously, the stomach where he had planning the Shiki Fuujin.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea attacked the Hokage and he stumbled, leaning for support on the shoulder of the god. Inari looked at him for a moment, and said solemnly, "You have used up too much of yourself tonight. Even if I had the power of my brothers, I could not keep you tethered to life." He shook his head sadly and the world flashed once in Minato's eyes before spinning out of control as the world split in two and crashed on his brain. He groaned and collapsed on top of Gamabunta's head, who was still frozen in place at the divine presence.

"Don't worry," said Inari softly. "For I will protect your son."

The Yondaime doubled over one last time, and spoke his last words. "H-His name… is Naruto."

And so Namikaze Minato passed from earth to heaven, his spirit fleeing from his body, which fell to the earth, leaving Inari cradling the child in his arms. He disappeared in a column of fire and reappeared in the office of the Hokage. When a weary Sarutobi entered some hours later, he would be very surprised to find the son and heir of his successor lying on his desk.

Inari vanished once more.

To watch.

And to wait.

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AN: DAMN! I'm on a ROLL! This chapter just seemed to write itself!

So, you know, R&R. Tell me what you think!

- SoS, out!


	2. Chapter 1: New Friends

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Chapter 1

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The sun dawned on a new day in Konoha. Birds chirped and the sun filtered down through the trees, striking the grasses waving gently in the breeze. There was a feeling of calmness, and of tranquility.

In the village itself, the citizens were just beginning to wake. Civilians were setting up their shops and wares for the day to come, making sure not to forget anything. All over town, as well, shinobi were in motion, some leaving early for long-distance missions, others being relieved from the night shift, while still more were simply fitting in extra training.

For Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it had been nearly four years since the attack of the Kyuubi. That fateful day when the fox attacked and decimated part of the village was still never entirely cleared from the minds of the people living there. It had taken years to bring up the shinobi population back to where it was even a shadow of what it had been before. But it had to be borne. Konoha had to remain strong.

As the banners and decorations began to go up for the festival that day, a simple butterfly fluttered down the street, ignored by the populace. It passed by the Konoha Academy, recently renovated after it had been crushed underneath rubble from the mountain. Children passed by, chattering eagerly amongst themselves.

The insect flew on, and passed the majestic Hokage Tower, looming like a protective guardian over the village, silhouetted against the great Monument put up in remembrance of the heroes and leaders of the village. Yawning tiredly and taking a sip of his coffee, Sarutobi Hiruzen stretched back his old bones and took a look out of his windows at the rising sun, smiling softly at the village that he loved.

Finally, the butterfly came to one last location. It dodged the busy people roaming the backstreets of Konoha and came to rest on top of a single dumpster, teetering on the edge like a petal or a leaf. Across the road, between a bar and a dumpy weapons shop, lay a small building- an orphanage.

Inside the orphanage the matron was just getting up, snapping at any children who came up to her. She yelled at any who did not get up quick enough and stalked off to the kitchen to sip some tea to wake up.

A cloud passed over her face as she remembered the day- October 10th- and remembered as well a certain blond who lived at the orphanage. Oh yes, he would be the perfect way to relieve her stress. Smirking to herself, the matron made her way over to a certain room, one that she had rarely ever paid attention to, preferring to ignore the lone occupant whenever possible, but now she opened it- and gasped and colored in fury.

The bare floors, like always, were stripped and splintered. A lone futon lay on the floor, covered in a small, thin sheet, with a ragged pillow to match. A single trunk sat on the ground, covered in mildew. A window took up the small amount of space available on the wall, looking out onto a small and filthy alleyway between the orphanage and the bar, its paint cracked and peeling. The room, for the most part, looked as it always did- with two main differences.

The bed was empty.

And the window was open.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A child's laughter filled the air, and the leaves rustled as a shadowed figure sped through them. The laugh was met by barks and yips, and as the shadow ran closer, the two sounds increased in volume.

Uzumaki Naruto burst through the brush, laughing and smiling broadly. The clearing appeared to be empty save for him and the grass, but he knew better. He sniffed the air, and then grinned happily.

"Kitsu-chan! Nu-chan!"

With a series of happy growls, the two animals leapt out of the bushes in front of Naruto and barked playfully. He yipped back and they tackled him as he rolled on the forest floor before shoving them off gently.

"Okay, Kitsu-chan," the four-year-old said in mock whisper to the little red fox. "I think that Nu-chan needs to be pranked!" The little fox kit yipped and then was met by a growl from the other animal of the party. "Oh shush, Nu-chan," said Naruto playfully. "You'll get your turn." The dog made a noise somewhere between a whine and a growl and sat down on his haunches- only to be dowsed by a bucket of cold water from the branch right above him.

The small dog yelped in surprise and took a moment to glare at the laughing child. Spluttering as he shook off his coat, he strutted around the clearing with his fur poofing in all directions before jumping on top of Naruto and licking his face eagerly.

"Heh… stop it! Nu-chan, stop it!" the blond cried out, giggling as the dog bounced on his chest. The blond grinned at the small animal before hugging it. He heard a yip from Kitsu-chan and he held out his arms to the other critter, which eyed the limbs warily for a moment before leaping into the embrace.

Uzumaki Naruto had always loved animals. Since he was a little toddler, barely out of a crib, the matron of the orphanage had always ignored him. Sometimes left forgotten to starve or freeze, the little blond had grown up quickly. And so he had left the orphanage, only occasionally, on small trips at first, darting out when no one was looking. Eventually, though, it had developed into more than that, and Naruto found himself spending most of his time outdoors in the great forests surrounding Konoha.

It wasn't just that he wanted to get away from the blank stares and sneers that came from the adults and most of the other children. He had the feeling that, no matter what had happened, he would have grown to love the wilderness.

Hiking through a barely-ridden trail, or stopping by a bubbling brook- every minute of the time he was outside, Naruto treasured like a gem. There was shelter among the trees, and he had fallen asleep more than once underneath the gently swaying boughs and branches. There was food, too, and he had learned by watching the small animals which nuts and berries could be safe to eat- though he didn't always guess right.

That had been when he had first met Kitsu (how he pronounced "Kitsune", his three-year-old vocal skills almost automatically shortening the word). He had tried to eat a small red berry that he had seen lots of birds eating before they had flown south during the cold months (what he would later would learn was called "winter") and had thought it juicy, but a little bitter.

Unfortunately, though, for him, Naruto had soon found himself on the ground, gagging as he retched up all the contents of his stomachs onto the snow, staining the pure white with acidic green. He had faded in and out of consciousness before he collapsed in the beginnings of a blizzard. Naruto had woken up- and seen _him_.

There, in a small depression in the snow, had sat, all curled up in a ball, a little red lump of fur. When Naruto had weakly crawled up to it, it had shivered and revealed itself to be a small fox kit, close to freezing to death in the cold. With his own teeth chattering, the small blond had managed to drag the kit to a small cave underneath the roots of a tree and snuggle up with the other mammal to try to keep warm.

Naruto survived, of course- he always did- but to his delight, the fox had managed to live through the night! So, from then on, whenever he had come to the forest, he had found the little kit following him, and soon enough, the two were running throughout the forest as if they were littermates.

Nu-chan (short for "Inu-chan) had been a different story.

Chasing after his foxy friend, Naruto had- quite inadvertently- stumbled upon a violent scene. Two big dogs, with what looked like headbands around their necks, had been growling and facing down what looked to be a small puppy, with brown fur and wide, frightened eyes. Naruto had growled right back at the two big dogs, but they had barely spared him a glance before resuming stalking the smaller animal. And then they had leapt at it- and it had been to maul.

Without thinking, the boy had jumped in front of the puppy and taken the brunt of the attack. Bites, claws marks, tears- Naruto's skin was covered in blood and bruises and he would have died if not for a loud female voice to call out elsewhere in the forest, withdrawing the dogs and leaving him twitching and moaning in pain.

As he healed, the dog had refused to leave his side.

Now they played together routinely, child, kit, and puppy. Naruto could never explain it even as he romped with the only friends he had, human or not. He just had a feeling of… _belonging_ whenever he was in the forest. Whether when a bird called out to him, or when the sun burst out from behind the clouds and lit up the blue sky, he was always more than happy to spend his time out of the village and away from that awful orphanage.

He still used the orphanage for sleep and the occasional meal, but he knew it would never be a true home for him. Not before and especially not now- not with two friends and a whole world waiting to be explored.

So Naruto stayed in the forest, and now, with the sun peaking through the treetops as it illuminated the sky, and with the leaves just beginning to turn to red and orange, was as good a day as he could have asked for.

Little did the small boy know that his life was about to change immensely.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Deep in some forgotten part of the forest, where only jounin on missions sped through and all else ignored, a small cave, which had always been empty and bare, was lit for a brief moment as before someone _entered_ it, not in any physical way, but through a bending of space itself. And then the man walked out and the cave was left empty once more.

Instantly the air became clearer, and the animals all seemed to rejoice, singing and barking with new energy. The sky cleared as the sun began its long climb to the peak of the sky's vault, and the great ball of light shone down on the trees and leaves with new fervor. Without a doubt, the forest had just become _fuller_, and all life present seemed to be rejuvenated.

The trees stood straight and tall and the wind whispering through the branches seemed to pick up, blowing leaves in whirlwinds over the forest. As the man walked, creatures stopped and stared, turning silent in reverence and awe.

In Konoha, a mile away, reactions were varied. In an office by a mountaintop, an old man sighed contentedly. In an underground bunker, a one-eyed man with bandages covering half his body scowled fiercely, and his arm shook as his whitened knuckles tightened on his cane. In a clearing, not far from the village walls, a white-haired man stood silently, and, feeling the wave wash over him, shook it off and went back to staring solemnly at the stone in front of him.

The man continued walking, and in his mind's eye he saw the three friends- a little fox kit, a brave brown-furred puppy, and a small, yellow-haired boy. He smiled. It was the latter he had come for, but it was good that he had become comfortable here so quickly.

Stepping through the bushes into the clearing, the man raised his hand in greeting and grinned. "Yo. Name's Inari."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Naruto stared up at the strange man who had just walked into _his_ area. He blinked and cowered back, images of rowdy drunks flashing through his mind, but then relaxed and took in the sight before him, eyes quickly flashing all over the man's person.

The man- Inari, he said his name was? - was pretty tall; Naruto doubted he'd come up to more than just above his knee. He had long, red hair, flowing over his shoulders with crimson streaks decorating it throughout. When the man flashed a grin at him, Naruto thought he had seen a longer tooth by the front- a… fang, maybe?

Now that he noticed, the man (Inari) seemed to just radiate a kind of _rightness_, a sign that, just maybe, he wasn't as bad as the rest of the adults in the village. Naruto just felt comfortable in the tall man's presence, and he knew, instinctively, that he could trust him. And, what's more, on a subconscious level at least, he knew why.

Inari stood straight and tall, power seeming to emanate from him, a kind of feral grace surrounding him. Naruto went from cowering in front of an alpha (though he didn't know what that was) to calming in the face of a parent, or maybe a sibling.

Timidly, Naruto reached out a hand, and almost flinched back in shock when Inari took it. He looked up in surprise and saw the man smirking at him. Feeling once more that he was with someone who he could finally be comfortable with Naruto grinned back and giggled a bit.

"So you like the forest, kid?" asked Inari, smiling widely.

"Uh-huh!" said Naruto, skipping any thoughts of not talking with strangers. "It's great here!" He spun around, laughing as Inari chuckled along.

"I just feel kinda, I dunno… happy whenever I'm out here. What about you, mister?" The small jinchuuriki's big blue eyes turned on the god-incognito and the deity had to stop himself from laughing again at the hopeful look, longing for someone to actually talk back other than his woodland friends.

"Well, gaki, for your information, I _love_ the forest! I think it's the best place ever." This time, Inari _did_ chuckle and ruffled Naruto's hair as the boy pouted.

"My name isn't _brat_, it's _Naruto! _Plus, I bet I like the forest more than you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Ha!" Inari exclaimed mischievously. "Gotcha!"

"Hmph!" said Naruto, still with his arms crossed. "Doesn't matter. I still like the trees more than you do." He stuck out his tongue to make the point, though Inari only chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair again.

They sat on the rock together for a few minutes in silence.

"Say, Naruto," Inari said. "I've gotta go soon, so… would ya like a present of sorts?" He smirked, knowing the inevitable answer.

The blond's mouth fell open. A _present?_ He had seen other children, ones that didn't live in the orphanage, getting them sometimes when he had peeked in their windows, but he had never imagined getting one himself. He nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Yeah!" he said, all but bouncing.

Inari grinned. "Alright, kid, here ya go." He tapped Naruto's head once with his finger and the Naruto felt a strange sensation running down the back of his neck.

"Huh?" he blurted. "So?"

Inari only smirked once and then pointed over the blond's shoulder. "So, Naruto, why don't you look over there?" The excited jinchuuriki instantly spun around, and was awarded with… nothing? Just his two animal friends staring at him.

"Hey!" he said, frustrated. "What gives? You-" He stopped and looked frantically around the clearing. "Huh?" Where'd you go?" The area was empty, save for Naruto, his two animal friends, and a few birds.

_/Yeah, where _did_ he go?/_

"Wha-?" yelled Naruto, spinning around again, but all he saw was Kitsu and Nu looking at him.

_/Hey, do ya think maybe-?/_

"Okay!" barked the small Uzumaki. "Who's there?" He blinked once as his fox, eyes closed as if napping, lazily raised his hand.

_/Here./_

The four-year-old took a gasp and his mouth worked to make sound. ""But- how-?"

_A present…_ came the whisper, as if carried on a breeze. Naruto shook his head and stared at the fox kit. "Wha-?" he said again, but was interrupted by a different voice, a little more serious, but just as high-pitched as the other.

_/Hey, don't ignore me!/_

"You- you can talk! For real!" Naruto yelled, looking wildly at the puppy who had just spoken.

If Naruto had known the words to say, he would've said that the fox had frozen up in shock.

_/How- what- who-/ _came the words, jumbled and confused as they were.

Finally there was only one thing left to do- Naruto burst out laughing on the floor. His friends laughed with him, too, and for the first time, he was able to hear them laugh along with him.

It felt good.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Crouching in a tree about twenty meters away from the clearing, Inari watched and grinned.

"Look's like the kid's got some good friends to help him out."

And then he was gone once more.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

AN: R&R!

Before any of you ask, YES, Kitsu and Nu will be playing a role in this story. In fact, there will be sort of parallel companionship for each Naruto. Just try to guess which, though!

One last thing- GAH! FINALS! They're HELL I tell you. HEELLLLLL!

Ahem.

-SoS, out!


	3. Chapter 2: Absence

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Chapter 2

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The sun shone high in the sky, beaming down onto the village of Konoha. The villagers went about their daily lives, much like always, much like that that fateful morning two years ago. It was that morning, in fact, which was on the mind of one Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Of course, it was not that _exact_ morning which was of interest to the aging shinobi; however, it was the consequences of that day which reverberated throughout the old man's mind. His mind focused on one topic: Uzumaki Naruto.

After the battle with the Kyuubi six years ago, Sarutobi had pronounced the child a savior- a hero, in fact, for the act of holding the Kyuubi as a prisoner inside itself, body and soul. He had expected a warm reception for the boy, even though he hadn't actually announced the child's parentage- after all, if word got out, little Naruto would be in danger. So, with pride, Sarutobi had announced Uzumaki Naruto's status as the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, expecting the rest of Konoha to believe in the child just as he did.

He was sorely disappointed.

In his horror, the village slowly turned on the boy, needing a scapegoat for the terrors wrought by the fox on that night. He had not noticed until the blond was three, himself, as he visited the orphanage where Naruto was growing up. It was obvious that he was malnourished, but Sarutobi took that to mean that the matron of the orphanage was short on cash. So he gave them more money to use for the orphans and left, promising himself that he would check in on Naruto himself weekly once he turned five.

It had gone well, it seemed; however, Naruto had always seemed distant from their conversations. That in itself was unsurprising, as it seemed that he had inherited his mother's hyperactivity. Naruto always appeared uncomfortable in the village, though, and eventually Sarutobi discovered the reason why.

It had been one day when he had been, as per his usual schedule, walking around the village, greeting the various citizens and vendors. He made sure to do this regularly; after all, a leader is best served by direct contact with his people. In addition, it also gave him a good excuse to get out of his office- and away from paperwork.

He had been walking past a weapons shop and towards the produce sector, when he saw it. Two men jeering at a small bundle, which was curled up and shivering, as well as shaking in terror. His heart jumped a beat as he saw the small bundle of blond hair- _Naruto!_- and he had leapt in immediately, stopping the men. They left the boy alone, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and Sarutobi couldn't help but notice how none of the other people present had done anything to stop the child's torment. He felt a small twinge of shame at that, in that his own village refused to honor Naruto's sacrifice- one that he could not even know about.

Two months later, it happened.

Uzumaki Naruto vanished from the orphanage without a trace.

Sarutobi had gotten used to missing Naruto if he visited- it was clear from the reports the matron gave him that "the little brat was always running off somewhere, so much's the better", and the Hokage felt confident that, like always, little Naruto would come running back. He had been planning to give him his own apartment when he turned eight, the age when one entered the Shinobi Academy. That way, the old man hoped, the boy would be able to achieve some level of independence from a village that seemed to despise him.

He never got the chance, as Naruto disappeared from the village itself when he was but five years old. Not noticing wrong immediately, Sarutobi had taken the blond's absence in stride; apparently, he did that sort of thing regularly. However, it was within a month that the Sandaime began to worry, and a week later, he sent out an ANBU team to search the village for the small jinchuuriki. They looked for days, and found nothing, and so Sarutobi Hiruzen had to confront what seemed to be his greatest failure since Orochimaru.

Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, son and heir of Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage, and Uzumaki Kushina, and five-year-old orphan, was gone.

Frantic, Sarutobi believed that Naruto must have left the village, which was, in a way, true. The ANBU never searched the forest outside of Konoha itself, and so, any missing whiskered blonds playing in the trees were never found. The Sandaime was not due to know where Naruto had gone for years yet.

As he pondered, unheard laughter and barking rang out in the Konoha Forest, not a kilometer from the village gates.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Six-year-old Uzumaki Naruto laughed and ran freely. The trees blurred past him as he sped through the forest, leaves drifting through the space in front of him. Suddenly, he stopped and paused. A twitch. _There!_ He froze, and his nose twitched, catching the scent of his target. His wary eyes pored over the bushes before him, taking in every detail available.

A blur of crimson flashed and Naruto jumped out, hands outstretched.

"GOTCHA!"

Several birds flew away at this point.

The red bundle in Naruto's arms struggled for a moment, growling and squirming. Finally, though, it gave up, and Naruto's deep blue eyes met burning red ones.

_/No fair! You must have cheated!/_

Naruto giggled as the fox pouted. "Did not, Kitsu-chan, I found you fair and square!"

_/Hmph./_

_/Can you guys stop arguing and just be quiet?/_

From the shadows of a tree trunk came another animal, this one with dark black fur and light brown eyes. _/I mean, I could hear you from all the way over there!/_ The dog gestured with a wave of his head towards another section of the forest and the other two had the sense to look sheepish.

"Sorry, Nu-chan."

_/Yeah, whatever./_

Naruto snickered at the fox's attitude and flopped down on the ground, gazing up at the blue sky. Clouds drifted lazily through his vision, and sunbeams filtered down gently through the treetops. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nu-chan lay down with his chin on his paws, and Kitsu-chan curled up in a ball on his side. Naruto smiled softly.

He had not known exactly how much the village had hated him- and, for a fact, he still did not know why, even now- until he had grown to be four years old. That was when he had first met his friends in truth, and when they had gained the ability to communicate amongst themselves. Little Naruto, used to being ignored, had told no one of this, and the matron of the orphanage had been perfectly content to allow him to wander off on his own.

However, when he began to go out into the village streets instead of the sweeping trails of the forest was when he began to notice the wrongness of the people living there.

He had not expected it at all- the jeering and insults that followed him everywhere, as well the refusal of any shopkeeper to sell him anything. At times, he would go to the park and watch, quietly and sadly, as other children sat and played with their friends and parents, running and laughing happily. And that was when Uzumaki Naruto learned he was different.

He didn't realize it at first, but the first time when he was beaten had totally changed his worldview, and flipped it upside-down. He had only been saved by the Hokage, and just in time, too.

Ojii-san… Naruto smiled a little, though that too faded in moments. The old man had been kindly enough, coming to visit him on some days when he decided to stay in the village. He knew that old man Hokage had just wanted to know how he was doing out of kindness, and so Naruto had appreciated it more than anything else anyone of the village had ever given him, though he never did find out why the Hokage was so much more interested in him than anyone else. However, that small act of kindness only served to enhance the contrast with the cruelty of the village until Naruto decided that he just couldn't stand it- and left.

He had come out here, with the trees and the birds and the animals, to than just play with his friends, but to _live_ with them. He slept where they did, a little hollow by a small stream, with sparkling water trickling down the rocks. They ran together, and Naruto grew to understand his animal companions more than anyone else in his entire life- understandable, as they were the first friends he had ever had.

In this seeming paradise, though, nothing was perfect. Apart from the occasional thieving he did when he infiltrated the village, Naruto stayed in the forest always. He stayed and endured through rain, snow, and worse, but when the conditions got nearly unbearable, he would just grit his teeth and get on with it, and so Naruto matured much more quickly than others of his age group, relying on himself for food.

His personality growing up was a reflection of the environment he found himself in- carefree and happy, though serious and tough if need be, or else if provoked. Kitsu-chan was loud and playful, and although Nu-chan was more sober, he also enjoyed their romps through the forest, though they all shied away from the village on principle, the high walls and bustling population acting as an effective deterrent to any animal nearby.

Naruto felt immensely grateful to the man who had given him this gift of language, and, though he never saw him, always felt as if there was some feeling of the man with him at all times, which- though he didn't know it-was true.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

From his place in a shrine at the center of the forest, Inari smiled and opened his eyes. It was time.

The boy was ready.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The sun began to set and the moon started to rise, beginning its long ascent to the peak of the heavens before descending once more. Under the stars' light was a small hole, and it was into this hole that Inari looked into with happiness and satisfaction.

There, on a small pad of grass and leaves, still clad in his ripped jumpsuit and tattered shoes, lay Uzumaki Naruto, sleeping gently with his hands curled beneath his head. He was snoozing lightly, and Inari hoped that the boy was having sweet dreams.

Beside him lay the two animals, fox and dog, Kitsu-chan and Nu-chan. Inari frowned. Eventually, when they learned to fight, they would have to take on more badass names, but for now, it was enough. Watching them snore softly as they cuddled against Naruto's side brought a smirk to Inari's face. Yep- that kid would know what to do.

_Kyuubi!_ the god sent out, and it was a summons; a command. He felt an instant response: a light brush against his mental defenses.

_**Inari-sama! I am honored by your visit!**_

_Yeah, yeah,_ thought Inari, lip curling in a grin. _How's it been going with the gaki?_

The fox took a moment to answer. _**He appears to have adapted well- to be honest, I almost didn't expect him to survive to this point. But he appears to have inherited your hardiness as well as your stubbornness, my Lord.**_

_Good- continue to keep an eye on him. You'll be needed soon enough._ Inari felt the fox's question before it was asked. _After all, I'm going to Awaken him tomorrow morning. So be ready!_

_**Yes, Inari-sama!**_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Naruto woke slowly, the light shining on his gradually opening eyelids. "G'mornin," he said drowsily to his friends, and Nu-chan stirred, though Kitsu-chan lay asleep. Naruto twitched- the fox was pretending, just like he did every morning.

"GET UP!"

_/Geez! Okay! Inari-sama!/_

"Yeah?"

Naruto spun around, hand reaching for the stick that he kept as a makeshift club by the cave entrance. "Who are-?" He didn't finish his question, partially due to the fact that he recognized the man.

Standing there in front of the cave, leaning casually against a tree, was the man who had given him the Gift. Naruto's eyes widened- but no, there he was, tall, red-haired, and grinning madly.

"Yo, kid, ya gonna do anything more than stare at me?"

Naruto blinked once. Then again. "Wait," he mumbled. "You said your name was Inari before, right?" Inari nodded. "Then…" Naruto's head shot up. "You're _that_ Inari? Like Inari-sama, God of Forests-"

"-Deity of Life, and Guardian of Nature. Yeah, yeah. All that stuff," Inari said causally, dismissing the blond with a wave of his head. "Whatever. Actually, what I'm here to talk about is _you_." His fiery crimson eyes affixed Naruto and the jinchuuriki found himself squirming uncomfortably under that gaze.

"What-what do you mean 'about me' Inari-sama?" Naruto stuttered.

The deity shook his head and chuckled. "Duh. Just like I said. So first, kid, there are a few things that you have to be made aware of." All of the playfulness faded from the god's eyes and Naruto listened in rapt attention.

"Now, you've heard about the Kyuubi attack on Konoha six years ago, right?" Naruto shook his head and Inari palmed his forehead. He knew that they normally taught this sort of thing in the Academy but DAMN, the kid should have known at least _something_ about it. Then again, considering who Naruto was…

Shaking his head, the nature god went on. "So, anyway, six years ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, one of the nine Bijuu, attacked Konohagakure no Sato in a night filled with bloodshed and terror. Many shinobi were slaughtered and it was only through the efforts of the Fourth Hokage that the situation was resolved."

"What happened?" Naruto asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Naruto," Inari said flatly, cutting to the chase. "What day is your birthday?"

"October Tenth," the boy replied automatically.

_Good. At least he knows _that_ much_. Then Inari dropped the bombshell. "Naruto, the day that the Kyuubi attacked Konoha was October Tenth."

Silence.

"B-but… what does that mean?"

Inari fixed Naruto with a stern look. "It means, that, at least in the village's eyes, the Yondaime used a forbidden jutsu, the Shiki Fuujin, to summon the Shinigami in order to seal away the beast into the only possible container available: a newborn baby." He pointed at Naruto. "You."

Beat.

_What? Does this mean- does this mean I really am a monster? …Like everyone said…_ Inari caught the look in his eye and sighed in disgust- if this was what the village had treated their "savoir", then he didn't want to know what they did to their enemies. "I know this is a lot to take in, gaki, but know that the Fourth wanted you to be seen as a hero. That old fool Sarutobi agreed and chose to reveal that secret to all the adults in the village- a bad move, as you can see." Inari chuckled mirthlessly.

"But… does that mean…?" In a flash, Inari was over by naruto's side, hands firmly planted on the blond's shoulders.

"NO, Naruto, you are not the Kyuubi, you are the container, and you are NOT a monster! Understand?" Naruto nodded slightly. Nu-chan and Kitsu-chan were watching in stunned silence- their friend, the container for the mighty Kyuubi? "Remember, Naruto," Inari said softly, trying to calm the kid down. "You are not a monster."

"And neither is Kyuubi."

All of their heads shot up at that and Inari chuckled again, for real this time. "You see, Kyuubi is, as I'm sure at least one of you knows, my primary lieutenant, next to the other eight Bijuu. It wasn't his fault that he attacked Konoha, although I wouldn't have put it past him if they woke him up from a hangover."

"But that's beside the point," he continued, eyeing their confused faces. "The thing is, Kyuubi wasn't responsible for the attack on Konoha. No, that was due to Madara Uchiha, and, by extension, the darkness of Yomi, which was using him as a puppet."

"Don't ask me for a complete explanation yet," Inari said, holding up a hand, "Because you'll learn everything in due time. But for now… you'll go through something I lke to call…"

"…the Awakening."

"What's that?"

Inari's eyes glittered. "Humankind has long since abandoned the natural world," he pronounced, gazing up into the sky. "And so they have… fallen asleep in relation to their animalistic instincts and senses. They have left behind who they were, and gained more intelligence and mobility- but at a price."

"For you, Uzumaki Naruto, however, there exists the possible to not only reverse this issue, but also to enhance the effects beyond that which it originally was. Although, there is a requirement." Naruto held his breath.

"You, Naruto, would become my apprentice, as well as my guardian of the Earth."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Six Years Later**

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

The crimson sun set slowly on the horizon, as people and animals alike began going to sleep. Shinobi either retired to their houses or reported for guard and patrol duty. Unnoticed by all, a hidden shadow slipped in through the gates and collected itself in an alleyway.

"So, Kaen, Yoru," Naruto said with a chuckle. "What do you think?" The fox growled ferally and the dog gave a short bark as they both grinned with their friend and master.

Naruto gave a bestial grin to the village. "Alright then, guys."

"Uzumaki Naruto is back!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

AN: Thank you all, for your reviews.

**The DragonBard**: Yup, the manga has just started falling apart for me lately anyway, and everyone knows you can't do a good Inari story without Kyuubi (*grins*).

Glad you all are enjoying this!

(By the way, a cookie to whoever guesses what the animals' names mean and to which one they belong.)

R&R!

-SoS, out!


	4. Chapter 3: Return to Konoha

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 3

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sarutobi sighed heavily as he stamped another document, putting it aside in a pile of completed paperwork. He stared at it intensely, wishing that it would burst into flames. With the genin graduation coming up, there was so much to be done, especially with several clan heirs participating.

"…You know, you could just use Kage Bunshin."

Immediately, Sarutobi stood up and looked around warily, drawing a kunai from a hidden drawer. He turned in a circle, speaking in a loud and commanding tone. "Who are you? Show yourself!" All of his staff had left some hours earlier, and he didn't recognize that voice as belonging to anyone that he remembered. In addition, being able to make it to the top of the Hokage Tower in the dead of the night…the person could very well be dangerous.

At the lack of any answer, Sarutobi redoubled his vigilance, and barked out again. "I said show yourself!"

From above the Sandaime came an exaggerated sigh. "You know, Hokage-sama…it's not very nice to threaten people with weapons." With a thump, a shadowed figure dropped from the ceiling, landing in a kneeling position on the floor before the desk.

"Who are you?" Sarutobi asked warily. "You're no ninja of Konoha! State your name and reveal your face immediately!"

The figure looked down and shrugged. "Don't remember me? So sad…" he trailed off. "Alright them…ojii-san." Sarutobi froze. He remembered only one person who had ever called him that, and the child had been declared missing years before.

"Who…who are you?" Sarutobi asked breathlessly.

The figure stood tall, allowing the hood of its cloak to fall down to its shoulders. "It's me, Hokage-sama…"

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sarutobi stood, frozen in shock at the figure that stood before him. Standing in front of him might as well have been a clone of Minato- except for there-streaked hair and the six whisker scars, which, he noted, were significantly darker than he remembered. He checked for the presence of a henge- and found nothing. "Naruto…" he whispered, reaching out with a trembling hand. "Is that…is it really you?"

Naruto nodded, grinning widely. "Yup! It's me, in the flesh, old man!" He gave a little spin and ended in a pose that had even Sarutobi chuckling to himself.

"But Naruto," Sarutobi said gravely. "Where have you been all these years? You've been gone for over six years, and now, all of a sudden, you just show up? How could you-? Where we you?" He trailed up, evidently unable to get rid of the shock that had taken over his features.

"Old man…" Naruto said. "Don't get worried on my account. To answer your question, I've been…training while I've been gone."

Sarutobi was instantly on alert. "What do you mean? You weren't even entered in the Shinobi Academy how could you have gotten any skills?" If Naruto had been trained by the Kyuubi…

Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry. The fuzzbag hasn't been training me…though he likes watching me get my ass kicked. Damn kitsune." He started mumbling darkly under his breath.

"Wait!" Sarutobi said in alarm. "You know about the Kyuubi?"

"Yep. Known since I left."

"But…how did you find out?"

Naruto gave an uncaring shake of his head. "Old man, even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't. Let's just say that I got told it by my sensei and leave it at that."

"Your sensei? But-?"

"No, he wasn't a missing-nin; no, he wasn't an enemy shinobi; and _no,_ he wasn't a demon."

Sarutobi was dumbstruck. "Then who-?"

"Believe me when I say I can't tell you, ojii-san," Naruto said. "Now…let's get down to why I'm back. And," he said quickly as the Sandaime opened his mouth to speak. "Don't worry, you'll find out more in time…especially at the Chuunin Exams." He smirked as the old man's lips worked silently.

"How did you…?"

"Meh. I have my ways."

Naruto fixed the Hokage with a sharp glare. "Now. I came back because I wanted to give Konoha a second chance, and plus, my master told me that I had to come back to do something for him. So, I need to enter the genin exams tomorrow. Are you going to help me, or what?" Naruto eyed the old man for a few more moments before Sarutobi burst into a chuckle.

"Only you, Naruto, only you…" Pulling out a piece of paper from a particularly tall stack, Sarutobi stamped it with the Hokage seal of approval. "There you go. Just go to the Shinobi Academy at eight in the morning tomorrow. I'll let the teacher know that you're coming." Naruto nodded gratefully and made to leave.

"Oh, and Naruto?" Naruto stopped.

"Do me proud."

In a fiery Shunshin, Naruto disappeared from the room.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chuckling to himself some minutes later, Sarutobi abruptly froze. _Wait…_

_He called himself 'Namikaze'._

…_How did he know of his heritage?_

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Kiba jogged eagerly towards the Academy, Akamaru by his side, panting happily. This was the last day of school, the day of the graduation exams, and his mom and sister had been hammering all of his shinobi skills into him nonstop for the past month. But now…now he was close to showing the world just how great Inuzuka Kiba was!

Akamaru yipped loudly and Kiba spun around, startled out of his thoughts. "What's the matter, boy?" he asked, crouching down by his familiar's side. But Akamaru only whined, making Kiba become wary and alert. "Is it an enemy?" he asked softly, and Akamaru shook his head rapidly.

"Then what is it?"

The dog refused to answer, instead choosing to sit on his haunches, licking his paw, as he stared off in a random direction, seemingly lost to the world. "Akamaru!" Kiba said. "You've gotta tell me what's wrong! I-"

And then Kiba felt it- a ripple that traveled down his spine, and, involuntarily, his canines lengthened, his pupils elongated, and his fingernails grew into sharpened claws. Akamaru himself was starting to growl, his fur beginning to tinge a bloody crimson red. Staring at his hands in shock- he hadn't used any chakra!- Kiba knew that something was amiss. "Come on, boy," he said quietly, trying to calm the canine down. "What's happening? What's doing this?"

Akamaru didn't answer, instead only motioning slightly over to one direction with a tilt of his head, before lying on the ground, whimpering.

Kiba stared in the direction that his companion had pointed at. "Come on, Akamaru, let's go check it out." Reluctantly, the dog followed its master as Kiba jogged cautiously over to the alleyway that the dog had motioned toward.

Slowly, Kiba peered inside, looking down the alley…and his eyes met darkness.

The only thing that he saw were three pairs of red eyes staring unblinkingly right at him- before they vanished.

Kiba shivered, and after making sure that no one was there anymore, slunk off to the Academy, confidence a little lower, as Akamaru trailed after him.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As Shino walked into the door of the Academy classroom, he noted Inuzuka Kiba sitting in his seat, arms folded. He and his pet were both quiet, and they looked…worried?

_Strange…Kiba-san is usually more vocal than Sakura-san or Ino-san. There must be something wrong here, but I am unable to think of any possible reason. Perhaps he is having troubles with the clan head of the Inuzuka?_

Adjusting his glasses, the bug user stepped into the room and sat in his desk, sitting still in the seat. He needed to commune with his insects; the hive was unusually agitated today, and he intended to find out why.

Several minutes later as he was closing his eyes behind his shades in attempt of meditation, Shino was interrupted when the door slammed open once more, startling both Iruka and Mizuki from their thoughts and organization.

Shino took one look at the stranger standing in the doorway and he gave an involuntary shudder, his insects becoming louder and more aggravated, the buzzing in his ears rising to an unpleasant screech. Out of the corner of his eye, Shino noticed Kiba staring at the person as if frozen, hands twitching where he sat as his dog growled softly.

"Who…who are you?" Iruka asked slowly. "Explain yourself!"

The person gave a nod; his head wasn't visible, as he wore a cloak that covered his whole body, though two amethyst-colored eyes were visible through the shadow that made Shino flinch with their intensity. From outside of the doorway came the low sound of growling, and Mizuki took a step back.

"I…I have come as a late entrant in the genin exams," the stranger said, and Shino got the strangest sensation, as if the person was smirking underneath that hood. "I believe that the Hokage warned you of me."

Iruka looked thunderstruck. "Well…yes, but…"

"What is your name?" Mizuki interrupted. "We cannot have you in here without knowing who you are. And take the hood off!"

The stranger gave a dry chuckle. "Fine, whatever…as you wish." He gave a mock bow toward the silver-haired chuunin, and reached up to pull down his hood. Many in the class gasped as his face came into view, the muddy-brown hood disappearing onto his back.

His eyes, the two chuunin noticed, where a bright amethyst, burning with a violet flame. Long, crimson-streaked blond hair ran down his back, and the instructors thought for a moment that they were looking at a reincarnation of a red-haired Yondaime. His fingernails, they noted, were slightly sharpened like an Inuzuka's, and the cheeky grin he gave to the class showed off his impressive canines.

With a single pull, he tore off the brown cloak he wore, revealing what he was wearing underneath: an orange and red _gi_, with a fox's head on either shoulder. Iruka and Mizuki predictably glared at the designs before the strange boy cleared his throat.

"My name," he said, brushing his hand through his bangs.

"…Is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka froze. Where had he heard that name before? _Where_?

"And I have come back to Konoha."

Chaos erupted.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Mizuki's eyes twitched. He remembered the name well- after all the brat had basically killed his friends! He remembered kicking it when the thing was younger, and had fond memories of celebrating after its disappearance, especially when he realized that it wouldn't be able to go to the academy where he would have to deal with it.

And now, it was suddenly showing itself here, again?

Foaming at the mouth. Mizuki made his decision.

"DIE, DEMON FREAK!"

Throwing a kunai towards the boy, Mizuki charged, ignoring Iruka's shouts of panic. He grinned maniacally, knowing that if he killed the monster, then he would be looked up to by the entire village. Maybe Orochimaru-sama would even let him join his village and lose this worthless dump! Too distracted to defend himself properly, Mizuki found himself caught by the throat, clawing at the hand that held him aloft like iron.

"Why you…" he choked out. "Put me down…beast!" He spat on the floor by the thing's feet.

"Tell me, chuunin-san," Naruto's voice said, cheerful tone gone and replaced by a cold, burning, feral sound instead. Ino's eyes widened. Underneath his voice, she could hear…growling?

"What are you doing?" Sakura burst out. "Why did you attack Mizuki-sensei?" She failed to notice Kiba in the row below her shivering at the animalistic aura that had filled the room. "What gives you the right-"

"He attacked me," Naruto said angrily. "What gave _him_ the right?" Sakura shut up.

Chouji talked next. "Wait, did you say your name was Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto? Like…like the Yondaime?" Everyone froze, Shikamaru's eyes narrowing.

Naruto groaned, and a little bit of the oppressive energy faded. "Damn…I'd hoped to keep this quiet. But yeah, the Yondaime, Namikaze Minato was my tou-san." Most students sat, awestruck at this announcement.

Looking down coldly at the man who he was still holding, Naruto tossed Mizuki to the floor where he started choking on his injured windpipe. Instantly, two other chuunin burst through the doors, ready for a fight. "What happened? We heard shouting-"

"This guy," Naruto scoffed, pointing at Mizuki. "Attacked me, and I responded in kind. Make sure that your ninja know not to attack students, got that?" Seeing Iruka's lack of response, and acceptance, of the accusation, as well as the burning look in the new kid's eyes, the two chuunin nodded hurriedly and dragged Mizuki out.

Later, the Hokage would personally interrogate the man, leading to the discovery of his connections to Orochimaru, as well as his laughable plot of stealing the Sacred Scroll of Sealing. Mizuki would be sentenced to prison for treason.

Naruto cracked his knuckles lazily. "So…anyone else wanna shot at me?" His grin had reappeared as soon as the men had left, and all of the others, Iruka included, were still frozen in place.

"What do you mean by saying that you've come back?" Ino suddenly burst out. "If you haven't been here, then where've you been? Why'd you leave?"

Naruto turned his attention, raising an eyebrow. "To your first question, I've been…training over the last few years, and so I haven't been in the academy. To your second one, I've been wandering around the Elemental Countries…though I haven't visited many of the other Hidden Villages. To your final question, well…

"Let's just say that I wasn't well-liked and leave it at that."

Many of the kids were taken aback. The heir of the Fourth, not well-liked? How was that possible?

"Now," Naruto said, clearing his throat. I believe that we had a genin exam to get to?"

Iruka visibly started. "Ah! Yes…of course…" He trailed off, searching frantically among the papers on the desk. "Um…I'll be handing out these papers to you all, and you'll answer the questions written on the test. Then, we'll go to taijutsu testing, and finish with testing of a particular technique- which will be the bunshin jutsu."

With that, Iruka handed out the exams, though he kept throwing furtive glances Naruto's way, an action which was followed by most of the rest o f the class, but was ignored by the boy himself.

"You will have one hour. Begin."

Naruto finished the questions in forty minutes, not really bothering to answer them completely, and spent the rest of the time doodling on his paper. When Iruka collected the test twenty minutes later, he found an assorted collection of foxes, dogs, trees, and other various things drawn on the paper next to the questions.

"Now," he said, leading them out to the Academy yard. "I will be testing your proficiency in taijutsu, so you will be matched up in pairs and fight as I record your scores. Match One: Inuzuka Kiba versus Hamachi Ichigo."

Naruto watched idly, lazing on a bench as he observed the hooded boy attack the other with the aid of his dog. _Hm…_

"…Next match, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto against Uchiha Sasuke!" The other boy, one with raven-black hair and an unmistakable air of arrogance, stepped up, hands at the ready to begin.

"Eh…Iruka-san?"

"Yes, Naruto?" Iruka asked warily.

"Are we allowed to use animals to help in these fights? Like that dog-boy did?"

Iruka was taken aback. "Well…I suppose so, as long as you don't use any jutsu in the fight with them."

Naruto nodded. "Alright, then." He cracked his neck and flexed his hands. "Let's do this," he said with a grin, biting into his thumb and making several hand signs.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Everyone was shocked. How had this strange kid done such a high-level technique? Even Sasuke looked surprised, and oddly wary.

When the smoke cleared, the students were treated to the sight of what Naruto had summoned- a small puppy and a fox kit.

Sasuke started laughing. "You're trying to beat me with _those?_ Idiot." Immediately, several fangirls began cheering him on as Naruto sweatdropped.

_Is he serious?_

Naruto smirked. "Oh, don't take me for granted. After all," he said with a grin, as the two animals began to grow, reaching near-waist height in moments. "The more of my chakra I give them, the bigger they get!"

Iruka, blinking at what had just happened, took a breath and gulped. "Now…begin!"

Instantly, Sasuke had several shuriken out in his hands, all of which he threw straight at Naruto, who dodged them using a kunai that had suddenly appeared in his hand.

"You guys take the sides!" Naruto yelled to his familiars, who nodded, surprising everyone.

/_Right._/

/_You got it, boss!_/

Naruto leapt forward, nails lengthening as his grin widened into a feral smile. "Take that!" he yelled, slashing at Sasuke with his hands. The Uchiha jumped back, slashing widely with his kunai. _He's…he's so fast!_

Sasuke attempted a quick punch to the gut, but Naruto rolled around it, delivering a roundhouse kick to Sasuke's chest. With that, the fox and the dog came from the sides and tackled Sasuke, driving him into the dirt were he came to rest.

"…Winner, Naruto."

The whole thing had taken fifteen seconds.

Everyone had their mouths open as they watched Naruto dust himself and walk off, the two animals shrinking down to size before following him inside.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Now, Naruto…" Iruka said apprehensively. "Please do three bunshin."

Naruto wiped off his forehead. "Does it have to be a basic clone, or can it be something else?"

Surprised, Iruka answered him. "W-well, yes, but…can you really do one?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup. Call it Kitsune Bunshin." Iruka's eyes widened, but Naruto just made a lazy ram seal and called out the name of the technique. The chuunin's eyes widened as he went up to a clone and poked it.

"These…these are real! But they're not Kage Bunshin?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Made this one myself. Each one can take tons more damage than a normal shadow clone can, though I can only make three, regardless of how much chakra I use."

Iruka's hand was shaking as he stamped a seal of approval on Naruto's forms, and reached for a hitai'ate.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, pass…with flying colors."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

AN: And…done! Yays!

So, which team do you want Naruto to end up in? Let me know! (Remember, more reviews = faster updates). Also, how much do you want the council to be involved, on the subject of Naruto's heritage, disappearance, abilities, etc. Tell me!

R&R

-SoS, out!


	5. Chapter 4: Talks

AN: And….update!

FIRST…

Sorry, but I'm going to be taking a short hiatus on each of my fics, devoting around a week of daily updates for each of them. This week is Inari's Guardian, next Shinigami, etc, etc. That means that some of my other stories may not be able to be updated as quickly as people would like. I apologize, but I'm trying to catch up all my stories to one another, though I will try to sneak in another few chapters for stories that people especially like.

NEXT…

R

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:-)

Narudevilfan: You nailed his personality perfectly. Think of him like an upgraded Naruto from before he graduated, but one that's taken a HUGE Level In Badass (mainly due to 1. Having an actual TEACHER, and 2. Having that teacher be INARI!)

VanillaIce1: Yep, he snuck up on the ol' monkey. Mainly this is because, if you'll remember, canon Naruto was able to escape ANBU, so, with a NATURE GOD as a sensei, you're bound to get better at stealth. I honestly JUST thought of the Kiba/Shino reaction after reading Naruto: Beast King (or something like that, which, by the way, is really good), and I think it'll be interesting to see exactly how they react to him.

Shadow—The Black Queen: I know that you may not like the "Namikaze reveal", but I have my reasons. Primarily because nowhere in there did I say that Naruto revealed it on accident, he just SAID he did. Like his teacher, he likes putting a wrench into things every now and then, and he just wanted to mess with the Council. (Plus, it was a way to get back all those assholes who hated him earlier).

DeExil: I just talked about this, but…yeah. (The whole Namikaze thing). The difference between canon Naruto saying this and Inari!Naruto saying it is a.) Mine is more likely to say it for the heck of it (and was thus more blunt) and b.) With Naruto's 'unknown' background, the Sandaime will have no choice but to admit the truth.

Happysmiley12: Don't worry- Naruto won't be ridiculously powerful- he'll just be fairly strong. Think maybe a bit above Exams!Gaara (though without being fully possessed- which isn't that farfetched.) Mainly, he'll be leveling up as the series goes on, though you'll see plenty of training in flashback. As it is, he can right now wipe the floor with Sasuke. (Who won't end up as, by the way. The closest one to Sasuke would be my Shinigami!Naruto, who is more cold and logical, plus a little merciless- he won't be arrogant or 'emo'.

Tristan76: Oh, I'll be having fun with Kakashi and Jiraiya…just not _too_ much bashing, just enough to be realistic and appropriate. Oh, and your ideas of what the Third could have done are actually really good- I don't know why anyone hasn't though of those out yet.

And to everyone else who has reviewed, just telling me your appreciation, THANK YOU! You guys are what make this worth writing.

Now…onto the chapter!

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 4

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

All the rest of the day, rumors were flying through the Village Hidden in the Leaves. All were focused on the topic of one newly graduated blond, though not everyone consciously knew exactly who they were discussing. Namikaze Minato himself had returned from the Shinigami, some people said, and they were refuted quickly.

No, other civilians said, Kushina (what had her surname been…?) had returned from Uzu no Kuni, bringing the estranged children of the Fourth.

Others still shook their heads, saying that this was all wrong, that it was an enemy shinobi invasion, using the likeness of the their greatest hero to taunt them. (Many ninja became greatly inflamed over this rumor and had to personally be calmed down by ANBU in some cases before a riot had started)

The Academy was abuzz, with only somewhere around half of the staff knowing the first name of the child that had appeared so mysteriously, and fewer still remembering to make the connection between Uzumaki Naruto and the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Those would be spreading harsh words aplenty amongst the bars that night.

Funnily enough, there were actually a few rumors taking in a lot of everything, saying that Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki, had returned to Konoha and had claimed that he was the son of the Fourth Hokage. Very few believed this one, and those that perpetrated it were quickly laughed off.

People, after all, have a very strong propensity to believe what they want, after all.

And among all this chaos, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto sat up in a tree outside of the Gates, twirling a kunai on his fingers while humming a jaunty tune. Kaen and Yoru were up there with him, the latter panting happily. As he closed his eyes and set his mouth in a smirk, the blond suddenly heard a rustling in the leaves next to him. Not bothering to defend himself- he could smell the old man on this person after all, most likely making him an ANBU- he merely snorted.

"Namikaze-san, you are requested by the Hokage to report to his office at your earliest convenience." And with another rustling of the branches and a sudden blur, the man was gone.

Naruto nearly snickered. "Always taking their jobs so seriously," he said amusedly, putting his hands behind his head. "So…what do you think 'Hokage-sama' wants with us?"

Kaen gave an annoyed growl. /_It's probably just paperwork of some kind. I mean, how can he expect us to feel comfortable in this dump if we have to obsess over signing a bunch of paper! Geez!_/ The fox snorted and stared harder at the monument, unblinking. Naruto found himself beginning to wonder if the fox was actually having a staring contest with the First. Knowing Kaen, Naruto wouldn't put it past him.

"And you?" Naruto said lightly, gesturing towards Yoru. The dog gave a friendly bark before jumping down to the ground.

/_If the Hokage wants us, it'd probably be in our best interests to go there as soon as possible._/ Kaen whined. /_Be quiet. Honestly, whatever he wants is much more important than your phobia of work._/ Huffing, the currently small fox jumped down from the branch and landed on the ground, where he sat expectantly, an eyebrow raised.

Naruto rolled his eyes. _Do foxes even have eyebrows? With Kaen…_ With a grin, Naruto swung his way out of the tree and landed on his feet lightly, chuckling as he dusted himself off.

/_So._/ Kaen asked conversationally. /_Heard ya told everyone 'bout your dad._/

Naruto snickered. "Yup. That I did. Though it'd throw them for a loop."

Yoru looked worried, though. /_But…what if the Council intervenes. From what we've heard, their needlessly manipulative, and quite a few of the higher-ups could become a hazard to us in the future._/ Kaen gave a snort and Yoru tackled him, growling.

"Cut it out guys," Naruto said with a wave of his hand. "Anyway…Yoru…I figure that if I do this, then I'll have the chance to bring everything to the forefront what with their issues with me and all.

"Plus," he went on. "I'll be able to be reaccepted back into the village quicker- and you _know_ that that's what Sensei recommended." The dog blinked, but didn't respond.

And so they walked on through the Gates, and into the village.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Iruka rushed hurriedly to the Hokage Tower, huffing as he did so. Cradling his books in his arms, the chuunin dashed toward the center of town, not bothering to look where he was going. Bumping into a brown-haired, red-eyed woman that he thought that he recognized, Iruka could only gasp out a hurried "Excuse me!" as he picked up his things and went hurrying on.

He knew that the kid's- Naruto's- proclamation in class would shake things up quite a bit, and he needed to find out exactly what was going on, and quickly. Slowing himself to a walk as he reached his destination, Iruka purposefully smoothed his vest before going through the door, nodding at the people that he knew who were in the building.

"Name?" asked the secretary, not even bothering to look up from the papers that she was filing.

"Umino Iruka. Academy Chuunin Instructor."

"Purpose?"

"I need to ask Hokage-sama about the circumstances of a particular student under my tutelage." Gesturing a hand towards the large doors to the side, Iruka relaxed and walked in their direction, relieved that there wasn't anyone else here yet.

There had been no real need for Iruka to do a full check-in- after all, the ANBU had a constant security dome around the building, and any Shinobi tricks would alert them immediately. So, Iruka strode up the stairs, his minds slowly going over the circumstances of this strange new kid.

_Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto…_

Taking a breath, Iruka stood tall and knocked on the Hokage's door.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Walking down the main road in the village, Yoru and Kaen by his sides, Naruto strode unconcernedly to the tower, though he noticed a few people throwing dirty looks his way. Why would they…?

He frowned. Oh, right- Kaen. No doubt the Konoha villagers still held a grudge against any fox since the Kyuubi attack. Naruto thought for a moment. If their animosity was still strong- especially without a jinchuuriki to take it out on for the past dew years, the villagers could make life especially difficult for him.

Naruto shrugged. It wasn't as if he weren't used to people disliking him- in fact, he had thought about making it a hobby: getting to see how quickly he could earn people's dislike. But now that he was back in the Leaf, it was possible that a lot of his goals could be made harder through these people's objections.

But, then again…Naruto _had_ 'let slip' that the Fourth was his father, and hopefully the old man would set things right by that. If anything, it could only help him…though he'd have to deal with the brownnosing and interfering council constantly. Oh well. They'd have been that way anyway, just hating him instead of sucking up.

Already he could hear whispers of the 'return of the Yondaime', and Naruto could tell that he was receiving a lot more strange looks than what he expected, even with people's knowledge of the Kyuubi. Naruto smirked- so things were being shaken up already? Good.

Humming to himself, Naruto continued on his way toward the Tower.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Come in."

Sarutobi stared disinterestedly down at his paperwork. Why couldn't the damn things just go away! No one even liked the stuff!

He looked down tiredly at the desk, staring at an application for extra materials for a certain weapons shop near the end of the village. Sarutobi groaned and muttered to himself, very close to putting his head in his hands, especially since he suspected that the person coming in now was only there to deliver _more_ work for him. Why couldn't he-

"Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi looked up, and his face immediately broke out into a weak grin. "Iruka! I'm pleased to see you. How are this years graduates?" _And Naruto…?_

"Well…" Iruka began. "We have quite a few good candidates this year, especially because most of the clans have their respective heirs in this class."

Sarutobi nodded. "Good, good. So do you have any idea for the teams?"

Iruka looked pensive for a moment. "Yes, but that's also part of why I came to speak with you, sir."

"Ah, of course. And what else do you wish to discuss?"

Iruka blinked, not expecting such a straightforward request. "…Forgive me for my rudeness, Hokage-sama, but could you possibly tell me about Namikaze Naruto, and why he his here? I'm afraid that-"

"Yes, right," said the Sandaime, cutting Iruka off. "I myself find myself a bit confused as to why he suddenly returned, and that is all that I can tell you on _that_ particular subject." Iruka nodded uneasily.

"However, what I _can _tell you is that he is much more powerful than he looks, especially due to his rather…unique…sensei. Don't push him, and he should do fine." Iruka nodded slowly, his questions not really answered, though he could see it in the Third's eyes that the old man didn't know as much as he let on, either.

The two continued talking for a while, discussing possible team matchups as well as preparations for the Chuunin Exams, which were to be hosted in Konoha in six months. Still looking slightly confused, Iruka bowed once and turned to leave.

"One last thing, Hokage-sama." Sarutobi's attention was drawn immediately.

"Is Naruto truly the son of the Yondaime?"

Sarutobi sat there for a moment, and if Iruka had been looking, he would have seen years' worth of shame and tiredness flow across the elderly man's face. As it was, the Third sat there for a moment silently before answering, a pause in which Iruka nearly decided to leave-

"Yes."

That one syllable was shattering.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto…is the son of Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage. Goodbye, Iruka-kun."

And he left.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sarutobi looked worriedly at the door, chewing anxiously at his pipe. He had long since given up on Naruto, but the boy's disappearance had filled him with…hope? Yes; even as a small child, the elderly Hokage had seen the spark in the little blond's eyes, one that reminded him of another such blond, and had known the Naruto would do great things for Konoha one day.

"Hey, ojii-san."

"Naruto!" Sarutobi turned around abruptly, looking pleased yet a little surprised all the same. "Good to see that you responded to my summons- though, would it be too much to ask for you to use the door like everyone else?"

Naruto snickered, crimson-streaked bangs swinging as he ducked his head to disguise his mirth. "…Nah. The window's way too much fun to use, anyway."

"So," the Hokage said, hoping to get the point quickly. "I asked you here this afternoon to get some feedback from you, both on your opinion on the village, and…other things." _Like where you've gotten your information._

Naruto shrugged. "To tell the truth, the Leaf isn't _that_ bad, though there are some people who recognize me and throw me dirty looks." Sarutobi flinched; he'd always felt as if he hadn't done enough when Naruto was a child. "But…to tell the truth, it could be much worse…though I have a feeling that that has to do with the rumor I 'accidently' spread at the Academy."

"You mean, the one where you admitted the Yondaime was your father?"

"Yup!"

Sarutobi almost groaned. The Council _would_ make a fuss over this, no doubt about it, though it may make things easier for Naruto in the long run, especially in gaining the acceptance of the villagers more quickly. He could only hope that no Iwa genin came to the Chuunin Exams, however. He darkly muttered to himself for a moment before looking up and realizing that Naruto was still there, waiting expectantly.

"Well, Naruto…Whether or not that was a prudent decision, it's over and done with, and if I want it to ever be believed I order for you to come into your heritage, I'll have no choice but to reaffirm your statement to the village." The Hokage gave a weak smile at Naruto's whoop.

"However," Sarutobi said, turning serious. "You are aware that we sort our genin into teams, right."

Naruto nodded. "Course. I knew that already."

The Sandaime gave a small nod. "And so, it will become vital for you to share your skills with your teammates in order to work together more efficiently. Not all of your secrets must be revealed," he said to Naruto's sudden glare. "Not even to your jounin-sensei. However, I would like you to inform me of exactly _what_ you can do…as well as anything you can about where you've been, and who you've been with." Underlying this order was the clearly noticeable implication: _And about the Kyuubi…_

Naruto looked put off for a minute, but then gave smirk. "Alright, fine. As my…what's it called…'superior officer', I'd be happy to show you what I can do…mostly."

Sarutobi nodded. That was about what he'd expected, after all. He was happy Naruto still trusted him, actually. "So…?" He left the question open, hoping Naruto would fill in the blanks.

Naruto nodded to him. "Alright then. So…could we go to a training ground? I'm not sure if I feel comfortable showing off in the middle of the village."

Sarutobi reddened. "Oh! Of…of course." He'd completely forgotten about that in his interest. "…Training ground 1? I will join you in a few minutes." the old man sheepishly offered. Naruto gave a smirk and disappeared out of the window, no doubt running towards the site. Sarutobi gave a last grumble after following the boy's example.

When the secretary entered a few seconds later, she took one look at the empty desk and let out a huff of anger, plopping the extra-large pile of paperwork onto the surface before stalking out of the room, set on finding that slacker!

Sarutobi suddenly felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Ebisu stood idly by the Konoha Library, fruitlessly searching for Konohamaru, the grandson of the Hokage. _I shall find you for sure, Honorable Grandson!_ Suddenly, he noticed a blur land behind him, and the elite jonin prepared for action- only to find the Hokage himself standing behind him.

"Hokage-sama!" Ebisu stammered, standing at attention. "What can I do for you?"

Sarutobi chuckled. "No doubt you've lost my grandson again, haven't you Ebisu-kun?" The addressed shinobi flushed.

"No worry," the elderly man said, and Ebisu looked up, startled.

"Now, Ebisu," Sarutobi said. "I'm afraid that I have need of your skills as an evaluator. A former Konoha resident has returned to the village, and I require for you to test him, in order to discover his ability. I will expect you at Training Ground 1 in five minutes."

Before the Sandaime could leave, Ebisu called out to him. "Wait, Hokage-sama! Who am I testing for you?"

Sarutobi paused a minute before answering.

"...Uzumaki Naruto."

And he sped off.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Alright then," Sarutobi said, landing at the training ground with Ebisu behind him. "Let's get started."

Naruto looked confused for a second. "Hey, ojii-san. Who's that guy with you?" Ebisu sniffed loudly at hearing the Hokage being addressed in such an unsightly manner, but Sarutobi only chuckled.

"I fear that the best strategies and abilities are revealed in combat, my young friend, and for that I have brought Ebisu-san to evaluate your abilities. Is that all right?"

Naruto considered the man in sunglasses before giving a decisive nod.

"Excuse me, Uzumaki-san," Ebisu asked, gesturing towards the strange fox and canine that were standing by Naruto's sides. "What...are those?"

Naruto took a moment to look around before the fox gave a yip that Ebisu could've sworn sounded annoyed. Naruto scratched his head and chuckled. "Oh, yeah…sorry." The Sandaime tapped his feet, waiting.

"This is Kaen and this is Yoru," Naruto said, petting the fox and dog, respectively. "They're my…familiars, for lack of a better word."

Ebisu's interest was piqued. "Oh? You mean like the Inuzuka?"

Naruto shifted on his feet. "Kinda…expect it's a lot more complicated and we share a much closer bond."

The Hokage nodded. Flame and Night. Fitting names for a crimson-furred fox and a black-furred dog. "So, you can actually communicate?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup! Comes in handy for planning combination moves."

"Such as…?"

Naruto's grin was wicked, taking up more than half of his face. "Well. Let's just see, huh?"

Ebisu smirked. "Indeed."

"Begin!"

The two shinobi leapt into action, Naruto charging straight at the black-clad jounin. Ebisu dodged the charge easily and leapt straight up to throw several shuriken towards the blond, who responded by deflecting them all with a kunai.

_Hmm...good reflexes..._

Ebisu jumped toward Naruto, and the two began trading puches and kicks- ones which Ebisu noted, to his chagrin, that were constantly evaded or deflected. Laughing like a maniac, Naruto somersaulted away and landed on his knees before dusting himself off.

"Heh," Naruto chuckled. "That was a good workout, ne, Ebisu-san?" Ebisu only smirked. _Physical prowess...adequate. _Naruto took the initiative.

Closing his eyes and reaching to the ground, Naruto focused for a second, a moment in which Ebisu and Sarutobi were initially confused. _What is he doing...?_ As he raised his hand with a smirk, Ebisu gaped as a wooden staff crackling with energy erupted from beneath Naruto's palm and leapt into his fingers. "Let's take it up a notch." And Naruto ran at Ebisu, swinging his staff with great force. The elite jounin actually had to jump back a few times before he managed to take out a kunai and stop the staff in its tracks- where he finally managed to see what it looked like in detail. The stick- for that was what it appeared to be- was made of smooth ebony, perhaps four feet in length total. He could see nine swirls rising from the botton, with leaves branching off and forming an intricate pattern, until the lines came together to form a single circle at the top.

Ebisu raised an eyebrow. "...Impressive," he said, hand struggling to keep the staff away from him- and he idly noticed something new: a dull blade coming out for at least a foot from the top of the staff, where it was now struggling against his own knife. Suddenly Naruto jumped back, and to Ebisu's shock, the blade rescinded into the staff.

Ebisu smirked. _Weapons skills...most definitely impressive._

Naruto suddenly wore a huge grin, and Ebisu found himself beginning to get worried.

"How about that combination attack?" Ebisu's eyes widened and his breath caught as he saw Naruto begin to make handseals rapidly- an action followed by the two animals now by his sides growling, their fur rippling with energy. _...What? But animals can't use chakra!_

"Fuuton: Hitofuki!"

/_Katon: Kaisou!_/

/_Raiton: Enkoheki!_/

"**Yajuu no Shippuu!" **

Sarutobi watched in shock as a strong gust of wind burst from Naruto's hands, spiraling forward. He was even more surprised when the fox- Kaen?- breathed out a line of hot flame, which circled around the wind as if in a whirlpool, only to be joined by a flash of lightning sparked from the crackling of the dog's fur. The Hokage merely stood and gaped as the powerful attack seemingly formed the head of a lion, which gave an earsplitting roar as it appeared to smash into Ebisu- though he exhaled quickly enough when he saw that it was only a log that had been burnt, cut, and charred beyond all recognition, Ebisu himself standing between a clump of trees to the side of the site.

"What was…" Sarutobi sad breathlessly. "What was that?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "That was _Yajuu no Shippu_, the **Feral Gale**." He shared a look with his companions before continuing. "It's one of our most powerful combination attacks- made it myself." He finished proudly, pointing his thumb at his chest. Suddenly, the dog bit his leg, growling and snarling. "OW! All right, geez Yoru. You helped too."

/_That's better_./

"Naruto..."

The boy chuckled as Ebisu stood still, mouth agape at the strength of that jutsu- and by a genin, supposedly, too!

"I know, I shouldn't have fired it at him..."

Sarutobi groaned mentally. _Oh, Kami- that's the Puppy Eyes no jutsu_... "Fine," he said in frustration. "I am disappointed with you, certainly, and you will never use that technique on a comrade again, understood?" Naruto nodded quickly.

Sighing in bemusement, Sarutobi suddenly coughed and remembered what he was doing. "Ah. Yes, of course- back to evaluation. Naruto, my boy. That jutsu of yours is truly one of the most impressive that I have ever seen a genin perform- in fact, I'd put it up as mid-B-rank right now if I had to." He looked truly impressed, and Naruto just gave a faint grin, shrugging at the apparent strength of his move.

"Well…it's not _that _good…Y'see, once I release the attack, I can't direct it. Unless it suddenly changes by itself, it goes in the direction I send it in."

Sarutobi frowned. "All the same, that is still very impressive for one of your age. Are there any other jutsu or techniques that you wish to show me, especially about the Kyuubi?"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well…not _show_ necessarily, but…" Suddenly, he sped over to the old man's ear, and whispered something. As the minutes passed, the Sandaime's face whitened considerably, and by the time that Naruto finished, he was speechless.

"Well…" he choked out. "That is certainly…impressive. Very well, Naruto. You may go for now."

Before he left the field itself, though Naruto called back over his shoulder. "Oh, and about the Kyuubi? Don't worry about him- I _was_ taught by his boss, after all." And then he was gone, leaving the Sandaime with his mouth hanging open.

Quickly collecting himself, Sarutobi sped off back to the Tower. He could tell that the Council was going to make a fuss over this, and he wanted to be ready for them.

Forgotten, Ebisu stood off to the side, his left arm slightly charred from the attack. He wobbled for a moment, and then fell over.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Shino left the Academy, troubled. His bugs had reacted extremely strongly to the presence of the Namikaze today, not to mention his own shock and confusion at the presence of the heir of the Fourth. His perplexment was only increased with the actions that Mizuki had taken. Shino had noted him to be a hot-blooded and illogical individual, as well as jealous in some situations, though he never would have imagined for him to attack a student.

Lost in thought, the Aburame continued home.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Kiba ran home, Akamaru panting at his side. For once, the normally wild boy was pensive, thoughts set on the strange kid who had showed up today. _Namikaze Naruto…huh._

Normally, the Inuzuka would be pissed at anyone who showed off and made themselves look better than him…but seeing the stuck-up bastard get his ass kicked made it worth it for sure. Still chuckling at the memory, Kiba rounded a corner and entered the compound.

He waved to his sister, who was playing with her partners, and eventually made it to the door, still thinking about the new kid.

"Hey, pup."

Kiba looked up from his distraction and saw his mom, Tsume standing there expectantly. "Congratulations on your graduation."

Kiba was confused for a second. "Wha…oh, yeah!" Tsume chuckled. "Sorry, I was just thinking of something."

As he walked off with his parent, Kiba couldn't help but make the connection between the three glowing pairs of eyes that he had seen in the alleyway and Naruto with his fox and dog. Next to him, Akamaru shivered, remembering the _pressure_ that he had felt when the blond boy was in the room.

They walked on.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sasuke walked to his apartment, kicking at a pebble in the dirt and grunting when several vendors called out his name. He ignored them, of course, and focused his attention on more important things: Namikaze Naruto.

He knew that the Fourth's strength was immaculate, but how strong could that Naruto kid be, even if he was _his_ son? Sasuke was an Uchiha, damn it, and he wouldn't be shown up by some nobody who just appeared out of nowhere!

Eyeing everyone darkly, Sasuke silently swore to find out more about this Naruto.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

AN: C'est finis! (FrancaisFTW)

Lots 'o crap happening, guys. One chapter left until official teams (or possibly two), so vote quickly!

Who do you want on Naruto's team?

Sasuke

Sakura

Kiba

Shino

Ino

Shikamaru

Chouji

Hinata

**Translations:**

Fuuton: Hitofuki - Wind Style: Gust

Katon: Kaisou - Fire Style: Fire Stream

Raiton: Enkoheki - Lightning Style: Arc Burst

Yajuu no Shippuu - Feral Gale

R&R!

-SoS, out!


	6. NOTE

**I AM SORRY, I POSTED THE WRONG ANNOUNCEMENT. PLEASE DISREGARD IT, AS IT HAS BEEN REMOVED. THIS STORY WILL, IN FACT, BE CONTINUING. I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION.**

Sorry once again, I posted something with a typo. It has been fixed, so please read this over again. Sorry.

NOTE: I will be going to Canada tomorrow, so there will be no updates for at least until the 23rd. I will try to work on my stories while I'm away, but don't expect a certainty of a super-update.

ALSO: For my story "Naruto Reads Naruto", I have received a few reviews asking me to stop doing 'Naruto One Man Team' and move on to the next story (Yet Again with a little extra help). The thing is, I would like to keep doing this fic, at least for the moment, but if my readers want otherwise… Well, it's up to you. So, for a while yet, I will be having a poll. Do you want me to:

Continue Naruto one man team:

OR

Switch fics:

BYE!

-SoS


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